Conventionally, users on a client system have used a combination of a web browser and other client-based applications to access a content file retrieved from a remote location. For example, the user may access Internet content using INTERNET EXPLORER from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. and then use WINDOWS EXPLORER also from Microsoft Corporation to access a desktop productivity document type such as a WORD document that has been downloaded to a local location.
The conventional process of accessing and retrieving the remotely located content and then editing the content file locally is shown in FIG. 1. The sequence of steps followed to conventionally edit the downloaded content files begins by downloading the original file from its location and saving it to a local machine (step 2). The user then opens the file on the local machine, views the file and makes any desired changes (step 4), either by using a file manager which accesses the document and calls a associated application (e.g.: user accesses file with WINDOWS EXPLORER and selects a file which calls WORD from Microsoft Corporation to open a file with a .doc extension) or by opening an application such as WORD and then directly accessing the saved document with the application, such as by using the open command on the file menu. When the user is viewing or editing the document, the document is saved back to the local machine (step 6). The file may then be uploaded to a web server using the client browser (step 8).
Unfortunately, this conventional sequence of downloading-editing-storing and uploading presents difficulties from a security standpoint. In order to access the content at the client, the user is required to twice save the content locally to non-volatile memory. The first save is required during download and the second is required post editing prior to the uploading process. Additionally, many users frequently move and/or copy the downloaded content from one local directory to another (e.g.: from dir://downloaded_files to dir://my_documents). Each of these save actions creates a local copy of the document on the client. Very few users of the client device will remember to manually delete these local copies of the documents which accordingly remain on the client device.
Direct manipulation of the client device's storage may be inaccessible to the user, such as the situation where the client device is located in a public kiosk setting. In these cases, the option of deleting the local copy is not available to the user. Since documents left on the client may be accessed by unauthorized individuals with access to the client machine this presents a significant security issue.